Celtic fans desperate for their heroes to return to action will have mixed views on international football and players from the club being involved for their respective nations.
On the one hand, EURO 2024 and Copa America have both been welcome distractions while club football has been on the back burner. Six Bhoys have been present across both tournaments, allowing supporters to get their football fix.
Conversely, it is natural to be worried about players getting injured while on duty, coupled with the collective yearning for pre-season to start ahead of another busy campaign.
Thankfully, some squad members have started to trickle back into Lennoxtown. Involvement at major international competitions may slow the arrival of others. Still, with the Scottish Premiership fixture list now set in stone, there is a feeling of normality creeping back in at Celtic.
While fans wait for signings to walk through the Parkhead entrance, there are some positive silver linings to take from having Celtic representation at major tournaments.
Celtic and players involved at major international tournaments
Personally, I don’t mind international football, but I can see why other Celtic-minded people just want their club back in action. Simply, nothing compares to watching the Bhoys week-in and week-out, there isn’t anything in the world that comes close. Nevertheless, some of the players heading out to feature for their respective countries will have enjoyed invaluable experiences this summer.
Firstly, they will have been playing under immense scrutiny in front of their adoring public, which can only serve as a timely reminded of their Parkhead responsibilities heading into another busy year.
Out of the six men involved, Anthony Ralston appearing in all three of Scotland’s Euro 2024 group matches is a standout moment. Despite being second-choice behind Alistair Johnston at Parkhead, the 25-year-old was trusted by Steve Clarke to take the reigns at right-wing back.
Given his remarkable career trajectory, this experience would’ve ranked as one of the defining moments in his football life. The hunger that can provide to continue succeeding at the highest level possible is intangible, and the quality of the sides he faced would be comparable enough to some of the Hoops’ potential Champions League opponents.
There is a point to be had there for all who have featured for their country. Undoubtedly, they will have worked within alternative tactical frameworks and faced all manner of different systems during the internationals, widening their ability to cope with whatever is thrown at them in Europe this coming year.
Learning curves are always part of the package, too. Scotland suffered a bitter Euro exit at the hands of Hungary last week, Canada started off their Copa America group with a 2-0 defeat to the might of Argentina, and the United States crashed to a 2-1 defeat against Panama, just to reference some examples.
However, in all cases, there are valuable lessons to be gleaned from coming out on the losing side. Whether it be the quality of the opposition, what ultimately ended up proving costly, or, in James Forrest or Greg Taylor’s case, not getting on the pitch, there is added motivation for all concerned to learn from what has been and gone.
From a Celtic perspective, international football has been a productive exercise for all who went away and gave everything for their country. Hopefully, they can return and hit the ground running under Brendan Rodgers.
